Electric railway.



Patented Ian. 22, I901. J. w. EHLERS. ELEGTR Al Y (Application q Dec.899.)

(No Model.)

I &2.

NHED TATES ATENT JOHANNES lVlLH. EHLERS, 0F HAMBURG, GERMANY.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,306, dated January22, 1901.

Application filed December 19, 1899. Serial No. 740,899. (No model.)

To rtZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHANNES WILHELM EHLERs,a subject of the Em perorofGermany, residing at Hamburg, Empire of Germany, have invented a usefulImproved Means for Feeding Electric Current to Motor-Cars, of which thefollowing is a description.

The present invention relates to means for feeding the electric currentto motor-cars, and comprises a series of elastically-mounted sectionalconductors which when depressed by the special contact or take-up wheelof the car make contact with the main cond uctor mounted within the railbeneath the said sectional conductors, and thus current is fed to themotor on the car.

In order to render the present specification easily intelligible,reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar lettersof reference denote similar parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a cross-section through a rail, showing the arrangement ofthe main conductor, the sectional conductor, and a part of the contactor take-u p wheel. Fig. 2 is a similar section drawn to a smaller scale,showing the position of the parts when contact is being made. Fig. 3 isa vertical longitudinal section on a still smaller scale, showing awhole sectional conductor; and Fig. at is a horizontal section through arail-joint, showing the insulation of the fish-plates and bolts.

The rail is of the ordinary type car-rail, consisting of the main rail aand the secondary rail 1), bolted together by means of bolts 8. The mainconductor 9 is, with the exception of its upper surface, embedded inaninsulating-bed c, of elastic rubber or of an elastic and insulatingequivalent. This conductor is insulated at the upper side and covered inby an elastic rubber covering d, havingaseries of cavities h andcarrying on its crown the sectional conductors f, havingdownwardly-projecting contact-lugs 'r, lying one in each cavity h, whichwhen the crown of the said cavity is depressed by the take-up wheel g ofthe car, Fig. 2, contact with the main conductor 6 and feed current tothe car-niotor through these parts. The upper edges of the cover at fitadvantageously under ledges or shoulders of the rails a and Z). Thesections are of suitable length and mounted at such distance apart thatcontact will be made with one section before it is broken at theprevious one. tionsf is advantageously made of a tapering cross-sectionto fit a corresponding peripheral groove of the wheel or roller g, so asto secure proper engagement of the parts. The free lying surfaces of thecover cl may be coated with some suitable tough coating.

The rim of the take-up wheel or roller 9 is advantageously insulated,Fig. 2, being formed of two halves kk, bolted togetherand having theirrims formed to a claw-like cross 6;

section to grip the similarly-formed rim g with an interposed layer 1',of insulating material. A brush or other contact should then be provided on the car to take the current from the rim of g. A similararrangement of sectional 7o conductors is advantageously provided forthe return current. In order to prevent the sections fffrom beingconnected up by means of water,which might accumulate at the points ofinterruption of the sections, water-outlets should'be provided at thesepoints. It is also advantageous to provide a brush on the car in frontof the roller J.

The fish-plates m n, Fig. 4:, are advantageously insulated at therail-joints either by from the foregoing description and needs no 0further explanation.

I claim as my invention.

1. In a device for feeding current to electric-motor cars, thecombination of a main conductor, an insulating-bed mounted in the 5track-rail to receive and partially inclose said conductor, acovering-strip of rubber or of an elastic and insulating equivalenthaving cavities in its lower surface and adapted otherwise to close downon the lower bedding too of rubber or of an elastic and insulatingequivalent, sectional conductors mounted on the top of said rubbercovering and having contact-lugs extending downwardly through The uppersurface of the seo- 55 In order to inthe said covering into the saidcavities and means for depressing said sectional contacts substantiallyas described.

2. In a device for feeding current to electric-motor cars thecombination of a main conductor, an insulating-bed mounted in thetrack-rail to receive and partially inclose said conductor, acovering-strip of rubber or of an elastic and insulating equivalenthaving cavities in its lower surface and adapted otherwise to close downonto the lower bedding of rubber or of an elastic and insulatingequivalent and means for retaining said cover between the rails,sectional conductors mounted on the top of said rubber covering andhaving contact-lugs extending downwardly through the said covering intothe said cavities and means for depressing said sectional contactssubstantially as described.

3. In a device for feeding current to electrio-motor cars, thecombination of a main conductor, an insulating-bed mounted in thetrack-rail to receive and partially inclose said conductor, acovering-strip of rubber or of an elastic and insulating equivalenthaving cavities in its lower surface and adapted in the contact-roller,and having contact-lugs extending downwardly through the said c0v-'ering into the cavities and means for depressing said sectional contactssubstantially as described.

4. In a device for feeding current to electric-motor cars, thecombination of a main conductor, an insulating-bed, mounted in thetrack-rail to receive and partially inclose, said conductor, acovering-strip of rubber or of an elastic and insulating equivalenthaving cavities in its lower surface and adapted otherwise to close downon the lower bedding of rubber or of an elastic and insulatingequivalent, sectional conductors mounted on the top of said rubbercovering and having contact-lugs extending downwardly through the saidcovering into the said cavities and means for depressing said sectionalcontacts consisting of a roller having disks bolted together to form anannular claw and a rim gripped by said claw and interposedinsulating-layer between said rim and claw substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHS. WILH. EHLERS.

Witnesses:

E. H. L. MUMMENHOFF, W. N. GoLDscHMIDT.

